The Council of The Institution of Engineers in Scotland offer sincere condolences to the royal family and members of the royal household on the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen served the country with dignity, humility and fidelity, and, with Prince Philip, took a keen interest in all aspects of engineering and technology.
It is said that she was the first British monarch to change a punctured tyre, to fly a helicopter and to drive a London Underground train. Queen Elizabeth was patron of many engineering institutions, including the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), the Royal Society, the Royal Aeronautical Society, and the Institution of Royal Engineers. In 2013 she presented the annual Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering for the first time, when she described Engineering as “a noble profession”, saying “Throughout history, engineers have served their neighbours, their towns and their countries by making tools, machines and countless other things that improve every aspect of life. From information technology to medical science and mining, from building roads to space travel, engineers are working to make a difference to our standard of living, and with it our health, wealth and happiness. At its heart, engineering is about using science to find creative, practical solutions.” She went on to say “I have every hope that this Prize will be an aspiration of the international engineering community and an inspiration to young people everywhere, by letting them know that it is an exciting time to become an engineer and that by joining this profession they, too, can make a real impact on the way we live our lives.” We give thanks for a long life of dedicated service and support for all of the engineering professions.